1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mooring lines used to tie a boat or ship to a pier post or dock and specifically, to improved spring line for a marine vessel that eliminates the need for two separate spring lines for mooring a vessel to a pier, dock, or other mooring point.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of ropes and lines, both lightweight and heavy duty, for securely tieing a small boat or large ship to a pier, dock, or mooring environment have been well known for centuries. For vessels larger than 20 ft., normally the vessel would be tied to a pier with cleats and lines that would include a bow line, a stern line, and a pair of spring lines, after spring line and fore spring line respectively, which are secured near the midships by cleats and are typically criss-crossed. One of the important functions of ropes or lines for mooring a boat securely to a dock is to be flexible or resilient enough to allow for movement of the vessel based on tides or waves without snapping the lines, while at the same time keeping the boat securely affixed against the pier or dock, which typically has fenders for separating the vessel from the pier or dock.
Typically, the pier or dock has posts or cleats which affix one end of the line or rope securely to the dock, while the opposite end of the rope is secured to a cleat on the boat, again typically at the bow, the stern, and a pair of cleats amidship for the spring lines.
The purpose of spring lines is to keep the position of the ship or boat against the fenders along the mid-portions of the boat, while permitting vertical movement of the ship by having sufficient slack to allow the ship to rise or fall based on tides or wave action. The use of two separate spring lines requires two separate activities for fastening each end of the spring line to the boat and criss-crossing the spring line, typically during that action.
The present invention provides for the use of a single spring line having three connection points, one each at the free end of the line, and a substantially centrally located loop, integrally formed with the entire line, that allows the spring line to be affixed to a single cleat on the boat and to a pair of cleats on the pier, securely fastening the boat to the pier.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,591,105 shows a tow line used to tow vehicles that includes three segments of line having loops in each and that are quite structurally different than the present invention. The present invention has a single line, rope, or similar construction that is substantially elongated and has an integrally connected loop in a central portion that is sized for sufficient connection to a cleat or post affixed to a boat to provide for double spring line action with a single rope.